Lenovo CEO Ready to Take On Apple, Samsung

Motorola is far from a cash cow, but that won't stop Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang from talking a big game.

Stay Connected

That deafening groan you heard earlier this week was millions of Moto X owners learning about Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) sale of Motorola to Chinese manufacturer Lenovo (OTCMKTS:LNVGY).

Just two years after plunking down $12.5 billion for the company -- largely for its patent portfolio -- Google has unloaded its ailing Motorola division to the tune of $2.91 billion. (Though with cash on hand, deferred tax assets, and an earlier sale of Motorola Home for $2.35 billion, the loss becomes a drop in the bucket for Google.)

Of course, that still leaves the users who recently bought into the Motorola brand when it was backed by Google and purchased a critically lauded Moto X or Moto G device. While both pieces of hardware enjoyed unusually speedy software updates and steady support, many fear that they'll soon become just another pair of forgotten smartphones under new ownership.

But Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang seems confident that the newly acquired company will thrive and shine -- despite its dismal performance as of late. In fact, Yang is gunning for the top dogs in the smartphone arena and hopes to take down Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung (OTCMKTS:SSNLF).

In an interview with Fortune, Yang explained, "Even though Motorola has a lot of influence in the US and Latin America, the market share is still limited. So we still have very good opportunity to grow. We want to become a very decent player in these markets."

But the CEO isn't holding back in terms of scope. When asked about Lenovo's ability to catch up to Apple and Samsung, Yang responded, "Definitely, over time. Our mission is to surpass them."

Granted, any chief is going to talk a big game in the wake of a multibillion-dollar buyout. But that's a pretty lofty goal given what Yang said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal this week. When he was asked about the company's plans to shift Motorola's unprofitability, Yang said, "We don't have an effective plan yet, but we definitely have that kind of confidence to turn around the business, and to expand the business."

No plan but plenty of optimism? Not exactly music to the ears of the new Moto X owner.